Strange sea creature

19 May 2011

According to the Greek mythology, Hippo-campus was a fabulous sea creature with a horse’s head and a fish’s tail and it was believed that they drew Neptune’s chariot, the sea king.

But then what’s in a name? A seahorse is not a horse, instead is a fish unlike a fish. It swims almost upright with a graceful upper body. Its eyes operate independently of each other. Instead of scales it has protective bony plates and possesses a strong tail to grasp vegetation, coral or another seahorse.

There are about 40 species of seahorses in several colours and shapes, who are 5 to 30cm long, survive for one to four years. The most unique feature of these creatures is that instead of the females, male seahorses breed and may rise up to six broods in a single season.

They camouflage against their predators by changing colours or with leafy outgrowths on their body. Due to rigid armour plating, seahorses cannot move swiftly through the water thus glide along slowly. A tiny, vibrating fin at the back acts as propeller, it also helps them to regulate the volume of gases in their bodies thereby controlling their movement.

Interestingly adult male and female seahorses religiously dance every morning to confirm their bonding as well as their territorial rights. They swallow tiny crustaceans and planktons through their long tubular snorts, and anchor themselves in water with their apprehensible tails to seaweeds or other fellow beings to shun danger. Seahorses are found in the world’s warmer coastal waters ~ Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans apart from the north European waters.

Unfortunately, recent times have witnessed their dwindling numbers at a fast pace, mainly due to pollution and climate change. Another major threat is indiscriminate harvesting of the animal particularly in South-East Asia. Over 20 million seahorses are harvested each year and used in the traditional Asian medicines apart from being used as souvenirs.

Thus they are one of the endangered species and measures have been taken to improve their numbers through captive breeding, setting up of reserve marine areas and persuading fishing communities to reduce harvesting.

However, much depends upon our sensibilities and sensitivity.

bratin ghosh, Class VII
The Heritage School

http://www.thestatesman.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=370089&catid=46

Dorset Wildlife Trust concerned about cuts

11:30am Tuesday 28th September 2010

By Diana Henderson

With vulnerable wildlife under threat from lack of funding, Dorset’s leading nature conservation charity has launched an urgent appeal.

Dorset Wildlife Trust is concerned that the harsh economic climate combined with government cuts means less funding will be available for wildlife protection.

Now the charity is appealing for financial help to fund vital conservation work to aid water voles, seahorses and the severely declining marsh fritillary butterfly as well as to continue work to rescue the county’s disappearing ponds.

• The water vole is Britain’s fastest declining mammal. On the River Allen and Moors River there are still populations and DWT plans conservation work to ensure their survival and to help other important species such as kingfishers, brown trout and the native crayfish.
  
• Seagrass meadows in Studland Bay are unique as breeding sites for both spiny and short-snouted seahorses. Work is needed to protect the habitat and raise awareness with boat owners and the public to prevent damage.
  
• Grassland restoration to link up and extend isolated populations of marsh fritillary butterflies surviving on nature reserves in west Dorset is urgently needed.
  
• Work to halt the rapid decline in wildlife-rich ponds has begun in Purbeck but funding is due to end in December, with many still needing restoration. In North Dorset the globally threatened great-crested newt is in danger if urgent action is not taken to restore lost ponds.

“We are very concerned about these particularly vulnerable wildlife projects, which could make a vital difference to the survival of some populations of native British wildlife,” said Alastair Cook, director of fundraising and marketing.

“We can promise that your donation will only go to the particular project you have chosen and that all of it will be spent on active nature conservation.”

You can donate to the appeal at dorsetwildlifetrust and support seahorses, marsh fritillary butterflies, disappearing ponds or water voles.

http://www.thisisdorset.net/news/8418092.Cuts_may_hit_Dorset_s_wildlife/
(Submitted by Jonathan McGowan)

Dorset Wildlife Trust concerned about cuts

11:30am Tuesday 28th September 2010

By Diana Henderson

With vulnerable wildlife under threat from lack of funding, Dorset’s leading nature conservation charity has launched an urgent appeal.

Dorset Wildlife Trust is concerned that the harsh economic climate combined with government cuts means less funding will be available for wildlife protection.

Now the charity is appealing for financial help to fund vital conservation work to aid water voles, seahorses and the severely declining marsh fritillary butterfly as well as to continue work to rescue the county’s disappearing ponds.

• The water vole is Britain’s fastest declining mammal. On the River Allen and Moors River there are still populations and DWT plans conservation work to ensure their survival and to help other important species such as kingfishers, brown trout and the native crayfish.
  
• Seagrass meadows in Studland Bay are unique as breeding sites for both spiny and short-snouted seahorses. Work is needed to protect the habitat and raise awareness with boat owners and the public to prevent damage.
  
• Grassland restoration to link up and extend isolated populations of marsh fritillary butterflies surviving on nature reserves in west Dorset is urgently needed.
  
• Work to halt the rapid decline in wildlife-rich ponds has begun in Purbeck but funding is due to end in December, with many still needing restoration. In North Dorset the globally threatened great-crested newt is in danger if urgent action is not taken to restore lost ponds.

“We are very concerned about these particularly vulnerable wildlife projects, which could make a vital difference to the survival of some populations of native British wildlife,” said Alastair Cook, director of fundraising and marketing.

“We can promise that your donation will only go to the particular project you have chosen and that all of it will be spent on active nature conservation.”

You can donate to the appeal at dorsetwildlifetrust and support seahorses, marsh fritillary butterflies, disappearing ponds or water voles.

http://www.thisisdorset.net/news/8418092.Cuts_may_hit_Dorset_s_wildlife/
(Submitted by Jonathan McGowan)

Gulf of Mexico oil spill threatens seahorse species with extinction: researchers

September 7, 2010

(PhysOrg.com) -- A species of seahorse unique to the waters of the Gulf Coast could face extinction because of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, warns marine conservation organization Project Seahorse. Without careful intervention, the dwarf seahorse (Hippocampus zosterae) could virtually disappear within a few years, while many other fish populations, including several other species of seahorse, face a similarly bleak future as cleanup continues.

“We’re very worried,” says Assoc. Prof. Amanda Vincent, director of Project Seahorse at the University of British Columbia and a leading expert on seahorse conservation “All of the seahorse populations in the area will be affected, but the dwarf seahorse is at greatest risk of extinction because much of its habitat has been devastated by the spill.”

Dwarf seahorses are tiny (less than 2.5 cm long), sedentary animals that feed and reproduce in shallow coastal seagrass beds for much of the year. Unusually, it is the males who give birth; they produce very few young, making the species particularly vulnerable to environmental change. The spill has exposed them to high levels of oil toxins and destroyed large swaths of their food-rich habitat. Their numbers are expected to drop, even as the cleanup gains momentum.

“While the spill itself was catastrophic for these animals and ecosystems, the cleanup poses considerable threats, too,” says Assoc. Prof. Heather Masonjones, a seahorse biologist at the University of Tampa. “The dispersants used to break up the oil cause some of the toxins to sink and spread, accumulating in their food sources and poisoning more animals.”

To slow the movement of the spill, BP has burned off the oil caught in seagrass mats floating in open water. While the majority of the animals live in seagrass beds in the coastal shallows of the Gulf, others live in these loose mats of vegetation offshore.

The burning of the mats has killed many marine animals while depriving others of their habitat and exposing them to further toxicity. Seagrass is vital to the long-term health of coastal ecosystems, sheltering marine animals, acting as fish nurseries, improving water quality, and preventing erosion.

Where possible, the use of chemical dispersants and the burning of oil should be avoided, urge the researchers. Booms have been, and should continue to be, used to isolate the slicks. They can then be skimmed, left to evaporate, or treated with biological agents such as fertilizers. These organic agents promote the growth of micro-organisms that biodegrade oil. In extreme cases where animals are at high risk of poisoning, seagrass mats and beds can be cut to reduce toxic exposure.

“It’s absolutely critical that measures be taken to preserve the seagrass mats and beds,” says Masonjones. “We must act quickly and carefully to give these fragile species the best chance of survival.”

The Gulf of Mexico spill — and the explosion last Thursday of the Mariner Energy platform — raise questions about the safety of oil extraction and transport closer to home, in British Columbia’s coastal waters.

“An oil spill in B.C. would present a grave threat to several species of pipefish, close relatives of the seahorse, and to plenty of other marine life,” says Vincent. “Because of the coastal topography and wind patterns, clean up could be extremely difficult, and here, too, we could see a number of species catastrophically affected.”

Provided by University of British Columbia (news : web)

http://www.physorg.com/news203098530.html

Gulf of Mexico oil spill threatens seahorse species with extinction: researchers

September 7, 2010

(PhysOrg.com) -- A species of seahorse unique to the waters of the Gulf Coast could face extinction because of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, warns marine conservation organization Project Seahorse. Without careful intervention, the dwarf seahorse (Hippocampus zosterae) could virtually disappear within a few years, while many other fish populations, including several other species of seahorse, face a similarly bleak future as cleanup continues.

“We’re very worried,” says Assoc. Prof. Amanda Vincent, director of Project Seahorse at the University of British Columbia and a leading expert on seahorse conservation “All of the seahorse populations in the area will be affected, but the dwarf seahorse is at greatest risk of extinction because much of its habitat has been devastated by the spill.”

Dwarf seahorses are tiny (less than 2.5 cm long), sedentary animals that feed and reproduce in shallow coastal seagrass beds for much of the year. Unusually, it is the males who give birth; they produce very few young, making the species particularly vulnerable to environmental change. The spill has exposed them to high levels of oil toxins and destroyed large swaths of their food-rich habitat. Their numbers are expected to drop, even as the cleanup gains momentum.

“While the spill itself was catastrophic for these animals and ecosystems, the cleanup poses considerable threats, too,” says Assoc. Prof. Heather Masonjones, a seahorse biologist at the University of Tampa. “The dispersants used to break up the oil cause some of the toxins to sink and spread, accumulating in their food sources and poisoning more animals.”

To slow the movement of the spill, BP has burned off the oil caught in seagrass mats floating in open water. While the majority of the animals live in seagrass beds in the coastal shallows of the Gulf, others live in these loose mats of vegetation offshore.

The burning of the mats has killed many marine animals while depriving others of their habitat and exposing them to further toxicity. Seagrass is vital to the long-term health of coastal ecosystems, sheltering marine animals, acting as fish nurseries, improving water quality, and preventing erosion.

Where possible, the use of chemical dispersants and the burning of oil should be avoided, urge the researchers. Booms have been, and should continue to be, used to isolate the slicks. They can then be skimmed, left to evaporate, or treated with biological agents such as fertilizers. These organic agents promote the growth of micro-organisms that biodegrade oil. In extreme cases where animals are at high risk of poisoning, seagrass mats and beds can be cut to reduce toxic exposure.

“It’s absolutely critical that measures be taken to preserve the seagrass mats and beds,” says Masonjones. “We must act quickly and carefully to give these fragile species the best chance of survival.”

The Gulf of Mexico spill — and the explosion last Thursday of the Mariner Energy platform — raise questions about the safety of oil extraction and transport closer to home, in British Columbia’s coastal waters.

“An oil spill in B.C. would present a grave threat to several species of pipefish, close relatives of the seahorse, and to plenty of other marine life,” says Vincent. “Because of the coastal topography and wind patterns, clean up could be extremely difficult, and here, too, we could see a number of species catastrophically affected.”

Provided by University of British Columbia (news : web)

http://www.physorg.com/news203098530.html

Seahorse nursed back to health after seagull dropped it in garden

A seahorse that nearly died after a seagull dropped it in a garden several miles from the coast has been nursed back to health.

8:45AM BST 15 May 2009

Karen Warr was on her way to the shops when she glanced down and saw the five inch long creature on her lawn.

Spotting it was still breathing, she carefully scooped it up with a fish slice and placed it in a bowl of tepid water.

Mrs Warr, 46, from Weymouth, Dorset, contacted her local Sea Life Centre and staff collected the endangered creature and took it back with them.

The long-snouted seahorse, which has been named Pegasus, has now made a full recovery.

It is believed the creature was taken from the sea at Weymouth by a seagull which dropped it three miles away over Mrs Warr's house.

"I was just popping out to buy a paper and I looked down and saw this funny object by the pathway," said Mrs Warr.

"I got a bit closer I saw it was a seahorse. They are very distinctive.

"I did wonder what on earth it was doing there but I could see it was still breathing so I dashed inside and the only thing I could think of to pick it up with was a fish slice.

"I put it in the bowl I use for my scales and filled it with tepid water. It was still breathing but wasn't moving much, it must have been in shock.

"I called the Sea Life Centre because they are only down the road and somebody came out to see me.

"We both agreed it must have been dropped by a seagull."

It is not known how long Pegasus had been out of water for but Mrs Warr put her pet cat out three hours before she found it and "it couldn't have been there then otherwise he would have eaten it."

The green and silver creature is an adult female and has been put in a dark quarantine tank at the Sea Life Centre to aid its recovery.

Display supervisor Claire Little said they transferred the seahorse into salivated water gradually to avoid shocking it.

She said: "They can go into shock if they are not treated carefully.

"We brought it back to the park to be assessed in our biological services unit for several hours.

"She seems fine now but we will continue to monitor her while she is in quarantine for the next 28 days."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/5326724/Seahorse-nursed-back-to-health-after-seagull-dropped-it-in-garden.html